Phonograph record file



Aug. 27, 1957 c. L. SPlTZlG PHONOGRAPH RECORD FILE Filed Jan. 15, 1956 R W m W Nm 2 E a V mm m s w .w 5 my RE A y H 6 i M United States Patent PHONGGRAPH RECORD FILE Charles L. Spitzig, Yellow Springs, Ohio Application .ianuary 13, 1956, Serial No. 559,025

5 Claims. (Cl. 21140) This invention relates to a device for storing phonograph records, and more particularly has reference to a device of the type stated designed to hold a substantial number of records in such a position that the record jackets will be maintained out of contact with each other. In this way, it is proposed to eliminate side pressure on the records. Pressure exerted laterally upon phonograph records, it may be noted, has been found to be one of the greatest features in causing surface damage.

Another object is to provide a record file so designed that the jackets will be disposed in vertically suspended positions, with the full weight of each record being upon the bottom edge, thus to eliminate warping such as results from angular storage.

A further object is to design the record file such as to permit the supported records to be moved relative to one another in a manner similar to the turning of the pages of a loose-leaf book, thus to facilitate identification of the records by the legends on their original jackets and, cor respondingly, eliminate the filling out of tags and other types of indexing means.

Still another object is to facilitate the insert-ion or removal of a selected jacket without interference with adjacent jackets, thus to allow continuous substitution of records and their associated jackets, the removal of selected records from the file, and the addition of other records to the file.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view showing 'a record file formed according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view, the dotted lines showing the position of the file support clips during insertion or removal of a file; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a modified type of support for the file.

In the several figures of the drawing, the device is shown adapted for mounting upon a vertical wall surface W. However, within the scope of the appended claims, it is believed that designs can be provided wherein the device is mounted upon a stand, Which may be ornamentally fashioned, for disposition of the jackets swingably mounted upon the base or support bracket, slightly above the table surface or other surface on which the stand is resting.

In any event, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, there is shown, in Figures 1 and 2, a stationary base or bracket means in the form of a flat, rectangular plate integrally formed at its upper edge with a longitudinal flange 12 lying in a horizontal plane and extending the full length of the plate. The flange 12 extends in parallel relation to a bottom flange 14 also projecting forwardly from the plate 10 and also extending the full length of the plate. The plate is secured to the wall surface W by screws 16 which in the present instance are rectangularly spaced, although any desired arrangement of the fastening elements can of course be employed, designed to secure the plate firmly to the wall surface.

Formed in the flange 12 is a longitudinal series of downwardly dimpled apertures 18, said apertures being uniformly spaced along the length of the flange with the row of apertures being disposed substantially medially between opposite side edges of the flange. The bottom flange 14 has a corresponding row of downwardly dimpled apertures 20, with the respective apertures 20 being aligned vertically with corresponding apertures 18 of V the top flange.

Swingably supported within each opening 18 is an elongated main or upper spring clip 22. Each spring clip is formed from a single length of stout spring wire having a straight intermediate portion inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the horizontal, said straight intermediate portion being adapted to extend diagonally across a supported record jacket and being formed, adjacent the upper extremity of the clip, with a single circular convolution or coil 26 merging into a short extension part 25' paralleling, and inclined correspondingly to, the straight intermediate portion of the clip. The extension part 25, at its upper end, merges along a curving line into a depending pintle 24 extending into the associated aperture 18.

At its lower end, the spring clip 22 has a single convolution 28 receiving the lower edge portion of a record jacket 36. The record jacket, per se, is conventional, and is the jacket in which the record 32 is regularly sold. Thus, one feature of the invention resides in the fact that it is not necessary to provide specially designed jackets for the records, and the jacket inwhich the record is sold becomes the protective jacket used to enclose the record, in the instant invention. Further, this eliminates the necessity of providing special indexes, tags, labels, or the like to identify the records, since the jackets are individually identified as to their'contents.

it is important to note that the clip convolution 28, as well as the convolution 26, engages the jacket outwardly from the periphery of the'supported record, and accordingly, there is no pressure exerted against the opposite faces of the record by the clip convolutions. Further, the elongated, diagonally extending intermediate portion of each clip exerts no pressure against the side of the jacket, thus eliminating the possibility of surface damage to the record.

It is further to be noted that when the jacket is inserted in the spring clip, the back edge thereof, adjacent the upper inner corner of the jacket, is received in the convolution 26, at a location below the uppelrnost part of the record 32. The convolution 28 receives the lower edge of the jacket at a location adjacent the outer lower corner of the jacket, with the convolution extending above the lower-most part of the supported record, and therefore, there is no danger of the record accidentally shifting inwardly or outwardly out of the jacket since the convolutions extend as stopslimiting such undesired movement of the record from its assigned, centered position in the jacket.

A lower spring clip 34- is provided for each jacket, and again is formed from a single length of stout, wire material including a short, horizontally disposed intermediate portion merging at its inner end into a depending pintle 36 engaging in an associate aperture 20 of the bottom flange 14. At its outer end, the intermediate portion of the lower clip merges into a coiled part extending through slightly less then one and one-half convolutions. This defines a forwardly opening groove receiving the back edge of the jacket, adjacent the lower inner corner of the jacket.

It is important to note that the back edge of the jacket is .inclined, to the extent of approximately five degrees, out of parallelism with the vertical hinge axis of the jacket, the back edge thereof is slightly closer.

to pintle .24 than said back edge is, at the lower end of the jacket, to the pintle 36. This characteristic of the construction results in the automatic swinging of all jackets held in the rack to a normal resting .position in which the planes of the jackets are at an angle of approximately 30 degrees to the plane of a vertical wall surface W, so that the jackets represent a minimum projection from the wall under ordinary circumstances.

By reason of the arrangement illustrated and described, a jacket can be swiftly inserted into the convolutions 26, 38, 28 in the position shown in-Figures l and 2. When so inserted, the jacket is supported for swinging movement upon the bracket, with the jacket swinging in a manner similar to the pages of a book, so that any particular jacket can be located with ease, identified,

and removed. If desired, the jacket can be removed with its associated spring clips, merely by a vertical upward movement of the jacket, causing the pintles 24, 36 to be lifted out of their associated openings of the flanges 12, 14. Or, the jacket can be pulled bodily out of the spring convolutions, if desired.

The convolution 28 comprises, in effect, a safety lock for the record, preventing accidental movement of the record out of the front of the jacket.

Accordingly, whenever a record is to be removed, ordinarily one will not remove the entire jacket or spring clips. Instead, it is merely necessary that the convolution 28 be pressed downwardly, to be shifted to the dotted line position of Figure 2; after which the record can be rolled out of the front of the jacket.

When the record is taken out in this manner, the jacket 30, by being held in coils 26 and 38, remains in its original position on thefile, although the coil 28 is in the down position, entirely disengaged from the jacket 30. This enables the user to remove a record from the jacket without disturbing its position in the file. When coil 28 has been pushed down, it may remain in that position. It can be returned manually, at any time, to its position on the jacket.

In Figure 3 there is shown a modification of the supporting bracket or base. In this form, instead of a back plate to which the top and bottom flanges are integrally connected, there are provided spaced bracket members 40, 42 of identical construction, said bracket members being of right angular or L-shaped cross section with each including a back flange secured by screws 44, 46. respectively to wall W and forwardly projecting longitudinal flanges having openings 48, 50 corresponding to openings 18, 20 of the first form.

It will be understood that of course any of various types of records can be supported in the device, and the records can be of any size. Thus, so-called long play records or high fidelity records can be supported, in 10 and 12 inch sizes, and the dimensions of the particular rack can of course be varied as desired by the manufactures to support various other types and sizes of records.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor isthe invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the piinciples, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

v 1. A phonograph record rack including stationary sup- ,ing .vertically spaced, substantially ,horieach of said portions having a plural- 4 ity of spaced apertures aligned vertically with corresponding apertures or the other portion; upper clips supported in the apertures of the upper one of said portions for horizontal swinging movement, said upper clips each being formed from a length of wire material and being extended from said upper portion at an angle, of approxi-' mately 45 degrees, thus to extend substantially diagonally across a supported record jacket, each of said upper clips including an upper convolution adapted to receive the back edge of thesupported jacket and a lower convolution adapted to receive the bottom edge of said jacket; and lower clips supported in the apertures of the lower portion for horizontal swinging movement, the lower clips each projecting outwardly from the lower portion and terminating at its outer end in a convolution adapted to receive the back edge of the supported jacket.

2. A phonograph record rack including stationary support means having vertically spaced, substantially horizontal portions, each of said portions having a plurality of spaced apertures aligned vertically with corresponding apertures of the other portion; upper clips supported in the apertures of the upper one of said portions for horizontal swinging movement, said upper clips each being formed from a length of wire material and being extended from said upper portion at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, thus to extend substantially diagonally across a supported record jacket, each of saidupper clips including an upper convolution adapted to receive the back edge of the supported jacket and a lower "convolution adapted to receive the bottom edge of said jacket; and lower clips supported in the apertures of the lower portion for horizontal swinging movement, the lower clips each projecting outwardly from the lower portion and terminating at its outer end in a convolution adapted to receive the back edge of the supported jacket, the upper convolution of each upper clipproviding a spring coil, whereby to permit swinging of the lower convolution downwardly out of engagement with the bottom edge of the jacket to permit insertionand removal of a record.

3. A phonograph record rack including stationary support means having vertically spaced, substantially horizontal portions, each of said portions having a plurality of spaced apertures aligned vertically with corresponding apertures of the other portion; upper clips supported in the apertures of the upper one of said portions for horizontal swinging movement, said upper clips each being formed from a length of wire material and, being extended from said upper. portion at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, thus to extend substantially diagonally across a supported record jacket, each of said upper clips including an upper convolution adapted to receive the back edge of the supported jacket and a lower convolution adapted to receive the bottom edge of said jacket; and lower clips supported inthe apertures of the lower portion for horizontal swinging movement, the lower clips each projecting outwardly from the lower portion and terminating at its outer end in a convolu tion adapted to receive the back edge of the supported jacket, the upper and lower convolutions of said upper clip being adapted for disposition in the path of a record supported in the jacket on movement of the record in a horizontal direction within the jacket, whereby to provide stops limiting said movement of the record.

4. .A phonograph record rack including stationary sup port means having vertically spaced, substantially horizontal portions, each of said portions having a plurality of spaced apertures aligned vertically with corresponding apertures of the other portion; and upper and lower spring clips supported in the several apertures of said portions for horizontal swinging movement, each of said clips including at its inner end a vertically, downwardly ex tending pintle rotatably engaged in the associated aper' tpre. the upper clips being each formed from an elon gated length of spring wire material extending at an incline of approximately 45 degrees from the horizontal outwardly from the support means and formed with longitudinally spaced convolutions adapted to receive the back and bottom edges, respectively, of a supported rec 0rd jacket.

5. A phonograph record rack including stationary support means having vertically spaced, substantially horizontal portions, each of said portions having a plurality of spaced apertures aligned vertically with corresponding apertures of the other portion; and upper and lower spring clips supported in the several apertures of said portions for horizontal swinging movement, each of said clips including at its inner end a vertically, downwardly extending pintle rotatably engaged in the associated aperture, the upper clips being each formed from an elongated length of spring wire material extending at an incline of approximately 45 degrees from the horizontal outwardly from the support means and formed with longitudinally spaced convolutions adapted to receive the back and bottom edges, respectively, of a supported rec- 0rd jacket, each lower clip including a short, horizontal intermediate portion projecting outwardly from the associated portion of said support means and terminating at its outer end in a convolution adapted to receive the back edge of the jacket adjacent the lower inner corner of the jacket, the back-edge-engaging convolutions of the upper and lower clips being arranged to dispose said back edge of the jacket out of parallelism with the hinge axis of the clips with the lower end of said back edge spaced outwardly from said hinge axis a distance greater than the upper end of the back edge is spaced from the hinge axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,153,677 Deragon Sept. 14, 1915 1,495,152 Becker et a1 May 27, 1924 1,688,255 Wasch Oct. 16, 1928 1,879,679 Gover Sept. 27, 1932 1,995,574 Metz Mar. 26, 1935 

